Harleen Quinzel
"QUOTE" Personality Harley Quinzel is a passionate, enthusiastic and idealistic, albeit disturbed young psychiatrist and newest staff member at Arkham Asylum. Driven by her dark past to understand the minds of the criminally insane, Harley has dedicated her life to working with Gotham's most depraved members. Intelligent and driven, Harley is something of a wunderkind in the field of psychology. Having spent the better part of her youth with her nose in a book, Harley is also versed on a number of other subjects, including chemistry, biology and history ; a fact which has not been lost on her peers who refer to her as something of a "know it all". Though generally not popular, Harley has nevertheless gained a positive reputation for her tenacity, drive and high intellect. Possessing a genius level I.Q and a rarely insightful understanding of the disturbed human psyche, she has thus far enjoyed a relatively successful career as Arkham Institute's new psychologist. As a caveat to her almost encylopedic knowledge in the fields of psychology, biology and chemistry, Harley is somewhat removed from the world around her. Possessing almost no concept of popular culture beyond the 1950's, Harley struggles to keep up in conversations with people her own age and remains surprisingly unversed on current events. Obsessed with her work almost to the exclusion of everything else, Harley has always lived on an island all her own; a fact which has been considerably exacerbated by the disconnect she's always felt from those not struggling with some crippling mental disorder. While Harley strives to make up for this through convincingly acting the part she feels she has to play in order to get by, she has nevertheless always felt like something of a freak and outcast; a feeling which is only helped along by her bouts of depression and mania. Though Harley struggles at times with feeling connected to the world she lives in, she is nevertheless a skilled psychologist with a special knack for getting into the minds of even her most distrubed patients. Able to sympathize with those whose minds have become fractured in the face of unspeakable horrors, Harley is a compassionate doctor known for going to great lengths for the comfort and wellbeing of her patients. Though genuinely disturbed herself, she is nevertheless surprisingly skilled at helping those around her recover their mental health; a skill which, tragically, she cannot use on herself. Desperate to atone for the part she perceives herself as having played in the death of her parents, Harley hopes that by helping Gotham's disturbed, she can somehow make up for what she drove her Father to do. A Type A person with a propensity for stressing and obsessing about even the most minute details, Harley thrives off of order and structure. When things do not go according to plan, she becomes frantic and desperate to restore some semblance of order to her fractured world. Desperate to feel in control of something, Harley lives by a fairly rigerous, tightly organized schedule which she rarely deviates from. That being said, Harley has a surprising tendency to inexplicably break her own rules at times seemingly without reason and she can be surprisingly impulsive at times; such as when she made the decision to sleep with Roman and take Joker's Smilex. Owing to the horrors Harley witnesed from an early age, the calm "in-control" Dr. Harlene Quinzel is something of a mask for the extent to which she she has been damaged by her past. Having witnessed the brutal death of her Mother and her boyfriend when she was young before being forced to turn the gun on her raging Father, Harley is strangely disconnected form death; unable to either comprehend its significance or really respond with any moticome of emotion to it. Having also witnessed these horrific events when she was so young, Harley's mind also fractured at a time when she was still innocent and childlike; causing a strange, barely indescernible break in her psyche. Though oddly in control of this strange other half of her, this control tends to slip whenever Harley either speaks about her Father or is somehow reminded of the events that transpired on that fateful day. Humiliated by this other side of her, Harley has learned to carefully bury it beneath her controlled exterior. Inexplicably, however, this has become more and more difficult in the face of a certain clown's influence... In all, Harley is a passionate and enthusiastic young psychologist with a dark past and a desperate need to atone for the sins of her Father. Though desperate to hold onto the semblance of normalcy she has finally found in her life, she is slowly finding this facade slipping in the face of what may very well be her destiny and ultimate donwfall. History Born on September 11th, 1992 in Brooklyn, New York, Harley was raised in a small apartment by Sharon and Nick Quinzel. With her Mother's none too promising career as a waitress and her Father's job at a local steel mill factory, Harley enjoyed a very poor upbringing. As a child, she was highly inquisitive and imaginative; often building forts and rocket ships out of cardboard boxes her Father brought home for her. Though Harley loved both of her parents, she always shared an inexplicably close bond with her Father; whose violent episodes and manic depression caused him to be a distant, apathetic Father at best and a violent, abusive one at worst. Unable to accept responsibility for his illness or the ripples of destruction and grief they brought to his home, Harley's Father blamed these episodes on everything and everyone but himself. If he went off on Harley, it was because she hadn't cleaned up her room when he'd asked her to or answered a question of his quickly enough. If he destroyed the furniture in their home or ruined an otherwise good dinner, it was because he wasn't paid enough or loved enough by his family. While Harley's Mother became increasingly distant with her Father over the years as a result of these tirades, Harley only latched onto him all the more desperately; working hard to keep her Father happy and her parents together. When Harley was nine years old, her Father-in a rarely good mood-took her to the famous Hayley's circus which was making its rounds through town. During the breathtaking acrobat performances, Harley found her breath taken away and when she found a flier at the community center some weeks later offering gymnastics lessons, she begged her Father to let her attend. Perhaps to justify his claims of being a good Father and to soothe the guilt he felt for recently putting Harley's arm in a cast, he agreed to the lessons; even generously agreed to pay for them. Harley's arm healed quickly and, before long, she found herself taking part in something which, for the first time in her life, made her feel important. Nick's good mood didn't last long, however, and Harley was forced to abandon her lessons a mere six months after they began. This didn't mean Harley quit practicing, however, and over the years-she became quite skilled. Having struggled through the years to keep her parents broken marriage togeher, a devastated twelve year old Harley found herself at a loss when her Mother explained to her one day that the two of them-along with her new boyfriend-were apparently "escaping". Though her Mother instructed her to pack a bag, Harley-thinking quickly-decided to call her Father instead. It would prove to be the single, greatest mistake of young Harley's life. Though she had predicted that her Father would simply come home and convince her Mother to stay, what followed was a nightmare that has haunted Harley ever since. Having spent the day drinking and fuming at the bar, Harley's Father took the gun he had planned to use on himself later that day and instead returned home where he proceeded to gun down Harley's Mother and her lover. Though Harley watched these events unfold in silent horror, she disappeared shortly thereafter to her Mother's open suitcase, where she had seen her Mother pack a gun of her own. When her Father barrelled through the bedroom door shortly thereafter, Harely fired the gun three times; killing her Father and ending his violent tirade once and for all. Blood splattered and broken, Harley sat with the corpses of her parents for several hours before the police arrived, but by that time it was too late. The mental scars Harley had received through years of psychological and physical abuse had cut too deep. In an oddly calm voice, she explained to the policemen that she had killed both of her parents and asked them to take her into custody. In spite of Harley's protests, she was not taken into police custody that day, but was instead sent an intensive treatment facility for disturbed minors. For many months, Harley struggled to convince the doctors and nurses of her culpability in her parents death, but to no avail. For reasons that completely escaped her, no one could accept that she was the one to blame; not her Father. Never her Father. Though Harley found herself little helped by her six month stint in the facility, she was nevertheless inspired to purpose as she witnessed the extent to which the doctors were able to help the people around her. Though she couldn't convince anyone to punish her for the death of her parents, she finally began to believe that there was another way for her to atone for her crime; through helping the people who, like her Father, could not be held responsible for their actions. In order to begin preparation for this, Harley began to act the part of recovering patient; it was one of many masks she would learn to wear convincingly over the years. Harley was put into foster care shortly thereafter where she spent the remainder of her adolescence bouncing from home to home. Though Harley continued to struggle with nightmares and bouts of severe depression, she excelled in school where she was recognized for her incredible, natural gift in the fields of psychology and science. While she was usually content to hang on the fringes of the social scene at whatever "school of the month" she was attending, she found this changed when a popular and handsome quarterback at her high school showed an inexplicable interest in her. For the first time since the death of her parents, Harley's mind began to gravitate away from her obsession with psychology and towards normalacy; her nightmares lifted and her frequent bouts of depression all but disappeared. For the first time in Harley's life, she felt truly happy. It was not meant to last. Though Harley was initially desperate to keep her troubled history a secret, she found herself unable to do this as the two became closer and closer. When, on the night of prom, Harley's beau went so far as to admit that he was in love with her; she dropped her guard and finally told him the secret she had been so careful to keep. Inexplicably, as she began to talk about it; a strange thing began to happen. Her voice changed, her demeanor shifted, she began rambling. Harley watched helplessly as this strange, other side of her took over; causing her to lose complete control over herself. The effect was not lost on her boyfriend who, calling her a freak, abandoned her in the hotel room where they had hoped to lose their virginity together. Devastated, Harely retreated further into herself than ever before. When she transferred schools a mere two months later, she was all too happy to leave the whispers and pointed stares behind her in order to start fresh. She wasn't going to let her guard down again and she wasn't going to slip up. A year later, Harley graduated at the top of her class and left her troubled, turbulent history behind her once and for all when she moved to Gotham on a scholarship for the prestigious Gotham State University. Harley excelled in her studies and, during her initial residency at Gotham General, caught the attention of a certain prestigious doctor at Arkham Asylum. Accepting the generous offer to finish out her residency at the very place she had been so desperate to gain footing in, Harley turned to what she hoped would be the next bright chapter in her life; never knowing, of course, the true extent to which she was about to meet her destiny when a strange man, dressed as a clown, stepped out of the shadows and into her life, unraveling her very existence and simulentaneously intertwining her fate with his. Notable Accomplishments -Graduated valed victorian from her high school -Received full ride scholarship to Gotham State University -Accepted an internship at Arkham Asylum -Introduced proposal "Project Group Home" to Arkham Asylum -Met "The Joker" -Gained residency at Arkham Asylum Notable Victories A bullet-point list of notable victories goes here. Relationships with Others ' Joker '''is a sadistic, socipathic criminal in Gotham whose sinister purposes for Gotham remain unknown. He is also, inexplicably, Harley's strange pseudo-antagonist and ally whose arrival into her life has caused her to question-for the first time-everything she's ever thought she believed about herself and the world she lives in. Before Joker walked through her front doors, Harley felt that she had a firm grip on reality; on who she was or at least, who she pretended to be. Since this time, however, Harley's grip on reality has begun to loosen along with her concept of who she is without this strange joker of a man. Though Harley is desperate to believe otherwise, she is inexpicably and completely drawn to Joker; mesmerized by his words and hypnotized by his actions. His strange grip over her and her life is like an invisible noose which tightens whenever he draws near. When she's around him, she finds it hard to breathe-let alone think and the walls she's worked so tirelessly to construct around herself and her identity come crashing down. While Harley needs to believe that his strange influence over her was only a result of the drugs she was imbibing during their first real interaction, there is a small, dark part of her that knows this is not the case. '''Roman Sionis '''is the handsome, enigmatic billionaire who arrived during her proposal at Arkham Asylum and rode to her defense against Bruce Wayne. Though initially reluctant to entertain Roman's transparent efforts of getting her to go out with him, Harley nevertheless agreed to a date with him in the hopes of ensuring his investment in Arkham. While Harley began the evening intent on keeping their relationship professional, she found herself strangely unable to resist Roman's kindness, charm and genuine-albeit puzzling-interest in her. Against her better instincts, she acted on impulse (why did she do that?) and allowed the charming billionaire to sweep her off her feet and into his bed. In spite of her efforts to keep Roman out of her heart, she found this to be impossible and--shortly after their relationship began--even went so far as to admit her terrible secret; something she swore to herself she would never, ever do again. As much to her surprise as her bewilderment, Roman didn't reject Harley but embraced her all of the same; causing her already swelling feelings for Roman to grow exponentially. In short, Harely worships the ground Roman walks on and there is little, if anything, she woudln't do for him. '''Pamela Isley' is a sarcastic, passionate environmentalist and Harley's only friend. Having met Pamela in college when the two were assigned as roommates, Harley is close to Pamela and has genuinely grown to care for her over the years. That being said, she has never really considered confiding in Pamela owing to a fear of rejection and embarrassment at the hands of someone she genuinely admires. Jonathan Crane is a quiet, intelligent psychiatrist at Arkham Institute and the person under whom Harley is conducting her internship. Having read much of Jonathan Crane's work during her undergrad years, Harley deeply admires Dr. Crane; viewing his work as brilliant and groundbreaking. This genuine admiration quickly developed into something of a crush shortly after Harley met him and though Harley maybe dreamed of what a romance with him would be like, she never truthfully expected anything to happen. She was, therefore, understandably surprised when Dr. Crane expressed his feelings for her, even going so far as to kiss her. Though Harley desperately wanted to return these affections, her past experience with romance caused her to instead push him away. Though this crush quickly dissipated following the beginning of her relationship with Roman shortly thereafter, Harley nevertheless continues to respect and admires Dr. Crane profoundly and feels truly and deeply guilty for what happened between them. Batman is Gotham's notorious caped "crusador" and one of the biggest thorns in Harley's side. Harley resents Batman for a number of reasons, though primarily for the terror and bodily harm he induces in her patients. Inexplicably, there is a small part of Batman that also terrifies Harley and she is paranoid that he will somehow discover her crimes and seek to punish her for them. Dr. Hugo Strange is the enigmatic director at Arkham Institute and a psychiatrist whom Harley deeply admires. Harley respects Dr. Strange for the extent of his work in the field of psychiatry and has worked hard to make a good impression on him. Owing to his prestige, she feels somewhat intimadted in his presence at times but nevertheless works hard to conceal this. Tommy Elliot is a prestigious spinal surgeon whom Harley met during her first day at Arkham Institute. Harley doesn't know Tommy very well, but thinks he's nice and genuinely enjoys having someone to eat lunch with. Bruce Wayne is the arrogant, self-entitled sole survivor of the Wayne fortune and another thorn in Harley's side. Harley resents Bruce for the condescending way he talked about her patients and she hates him for his design at preventing her from saving them. Powers and Abilities --Educated: Owing to her extensive academic background, Harley is extremely educated and well versed on a number of subjects including behavioral sciences ,history, chemistry and biology --Intellect: Harley has a genius level intellect, making her something of a walking encyclopedia and very, very clever. Paraphernelia Do they have any cool gear? Equipment Any signature or specialized equipment or weapons go here. Weaknesses --Mental Illness: Harley suffers from nearly crippling depression and undiagnosed dissasociative identity disorder. Owing to the extent of the trauma she faced from an early age, she is also strangely detached from the subject of death and has a profound difficulty in feeling sympathy for the deceased. --Paranoid: Owing in part to her mental illness, Harley is paranoid that people will somehow find her out and everything will be taken from her. This has caused her to be secretive and has also prevented her from actually seeking help for her mental illness. --Tunnel Vision: Owing to her obsessive tendencies when it comes to her work, Harley can be quite oblivious at times and tends to tune out the world around her. Notes -Play by actress is Candice Accola. Trivia -Favorite color is purple -Has a collection of harlequin dolls which her Father bought her over the years. -Is an avid fan of Looney Tunes, Hannah Barbara cartoons and vaudeville comedy. Also loves The Three Stooges -Loves classical music, with Moonlight Sonata and Flight of the Valkyries being tied for her favorite song. -Favorite food is spaghetti and meatballs -Favorite animal is the song bird -Has a fear of needles and flying -Guilty pleasure is the young adult book series Pretty Little Liars Category:Female Characters Category:Native of Earth-Prime Category:Chaotic Good Characters Category:Psychology Category:Arkham Institute Category:Season 1 Characters Category:Gotham Knights Category:Human